Louis van Gaal looking at January options to improve attack

United manager Louis van Gaal says he can’t just wave a magic wand to turn things around at Old Trafford.

United’s eight-match winless run came to an end when they defeated the Swans 2-1 at Old Trafford.

Rooney’s backheel winning goal saw him move into second place in the all-time Premier League scorers chart, as the United skipper continues to set records.

“That’s the reason – it’s not that we want to play risky football”.

Rooney was recently dropped from Van Gaal’s starting XI having not scored since October, but the Dutchman does not believe that omission can take any credit for Rooney’s return to form after his goal gave United a first win in nine matches.

“It’s wonderful that you can perform the game plan like we have done, in a risky style, under this pressure”, he said. “Wayne’s goal, with his left foot behind his other foot, was fantastic”.

“We’ve started the new year very well”, he told the club’s official website.

Victory lifts United into the Premier League’s top five.

The United boss added: “Phil Jones is injured, and it’s more or less the same injury as before”.

They will next face relegation-threatened Swansea City at home on Saturday and van Gaal feels that sixth-placed United have a strong chance of closing the gap on league leaders Arsenal and Leicester City.

“I am very happy for the players because they had to play under big pressure and now we have won”.

There is still unrest with fans but Saturday’s victory in United’s first game of 2016 has brought a much more positive feeling around the club. The Red Devils have struggled for goals this season, after Van Gaal offloaded Robin van Persie, Radamel Falcao and Javier Hernandez last summer. “Also, for this moment, but we still have a good team and we can still score goals”.

“Now we are playing much more matches but still it is an achievement”. We’ve had chances to score goals. The centre-back said United “fought hard against Chelsea and had to dig in today” again, but, this time, got the result.

“It is awesome and that on the age of 30 years”, said Van Gaal, who was unaware of the feat until Rooney, above and below, informed him after the final whistle.